Lebanon's pledge to peace: Bou Habib's UNIFIL commitment and Resolution 1701

Caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdallah Bou Habib concluded his visit to New York with a meeting with the United Nations Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres. 

The meeting occurred in the presence of the Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, and the Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia, and the Pacific, Khaled Khiari.

Bou Habib thanked the Secretary-General for his intervention during the ministerial-level session of the United Nations Security Council and appreciated his position on the Middle East's situation, inviting him to visit Lebanon.

He affirmed the country's commitment to the UNIFIL forces and their coordination with the Lebanese army, emphasizing the Lebanese authorities' concern for their safety and facilitating their mission.

Additionally, he expressed Lebanon's readiness for a comprehensive and balanced implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701 within a comprehensive solution that ensures stability and sustainable peace.

There was consensus on the necessity of a ceasefire in Gaza and the application of the two-state solution to exit the cycle of conflict in the Middle East, which has persisted without resolution for more than 75 years.

Bou Habib also met with the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo, and conveyed Lebanon's desire to avoid escalation, advocating for a policy of self-restraint. 

He shared his vision for reducing tension and achieving a sustainable solution.

Minister Bou Habib and his Slovenian counterpart, Tania Fajon, agreed that a ceasefire is the gateway to resolving the conflict and that ensuring a secure Middle East involves the establishment of the Palestinian state.